


It Doesn't Matter What You Wear

by bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid



Series: Solitude is Creativity's Best Friend [5]
Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Rachel Lynde is scandalized, Uncle Gil is very worried, but don't worry she gets better thanks to the help of Anne and Dr. Ward, dellie is sick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:00:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23386264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid/pseuds/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid
Summary: Anonymous requested: "Delphine is sick, Gilbert rushes to Anne for help in the middle of the night. The next morning Dellie is doing better. Bash invites Anne to stay for breakfast as thanks. Rachel being nosy comes over that morning to see what happened last night and is scandalized to see Anne sitting at the kitchen table in the Blythe/Lacroix house in her nightgown. Anne is annoyed by Rachel because she hardly thinks what she wears matters in life and death situations."
Series: Solitude is Creativity's Best Friend [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1670578
Comments: 3
Kudos: 107





	It Doesn't Matter What You Wear

Anne was awoken by a loud banging noise. Normally, she would’ve let Marilla answer it, rolled over and gone right back to sleep, but a voice called out with the banging and it made her sit bolt upright in her bed.

“Anne! Anne!” The voice belonged to Gilbert Blythe and he sounded terrified. Anne quickly stumbled out of bed and down the stairs. Marilla got to the door just before her, opening it and gesturing a frantic Gilbert inside. “Oh Marilla, Anne, thank god.”

“Mr. Blythe, what on earth-” Marilla started, but Gilbert interrupted her.

“Dellie’s sick,” He said and Anne’s heart skipped a beat. “I’m going to Charlottetown to get the doctor, but I know how much Anne helped Minnie May and she has experience with babies so I thought she could help until the doctor gets there. I’ve done everything I can think of,” Gilbert spoke fast and Anne had never seen him look that scared.

“Of course we will help,” Anne assured him, starting to lace up her boots.

“You two go back to Gilbert’s house, I’ll fetch the doctor,” Marilla said assuredly.

“But-”

“No arguing now, I know nothing of sick children and Gilbert you should be with Dellie and Bash,” Marilla’s tone invited no contradiction. “Plus, Matthew is in Charlottetown getting supplies so I can let him know what’s going on.”

“Let’s go, Gilbert,” Anne said, having finished with her boots. She gave Marilla a kiss on the cheek and then grabbed Gilbert’s hand, pulling him away before he could waste time arguing.

“Anne!” She turned towards Marilla in just enough time to catch her coat which was thrown at her. She put it on, suddenly realizing she was only in her nightgown. This was no time to be modest and Dellie needed her now, so she put her coat over her nightgown.

Gilbert had ridden his horse so Anne got on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. It was early spring so the nights and early mornings were still cold. Anne unconsciously held Gilbert tighter as the wind whipped around them, her nightgown was thin and he was warm.

Gilbert rode like the devil was chasing them and they made it to the Blythe-Lacroix house in record time. Gilbert slid off of the horse first and reached up to help Anne down.

“What is wrong with Delphine?” Anne asked breathlessly as they made their way inside. 

“She’s had a cough that has gotten steadily worse and then late last night she broke a fever,” Gilbert said, his voice shaky. “What do you think it is?”

“I’m not sure, I have to take a look at her,” Anne said honestly. Gilbert looked so distraught that she wanted to wrap her arms around him. The same way she had when they’d been preparing to walk into the house when Mary was sick. But there would be time for comfort later, right now she had a sick baby to see. Anne squeezed Gilbert’s shoulder gently and then walked into the house.

Bash was carrying Delphine around the kitchen when they walked in, humming softly to her. He looked like he hadn’t had a good night's sleep in a while. Anne went over and took Dellie gently from his arms. She could feel the baby’s heat as soon as she held her.

“How long has this been going on?” Anne asked, mentally preparing a list of things she could do to bring the fever down.

“A couple of days. First, it was this dry cough and then it turned into a wet, hacking cough, and then she developed a fever and is refusing to sleep,” Bash said, his eyes hollow.

“She’s going to be okay, Bash,” Anne found herself saying, even though she had no reason to promise that. She just couldn’t bear the heartbroken look on Sebastian’s face. Dellie coughed and Anne was glad to hear that it was not the barking sounding cough that came along with the croup. The bad news was that she wasn’t exactly sure what was wrong with the baby.

“What do we do, Anne?” Gilbert asked.

“Umm, Gilbert, I’ll need you to make a meadowsweet and willow bark tea. That should help with the fever. Bash, you make a mixture we can rub on Dellie’s chest to help with her cough. You’ll need sweet almond oil, syrup of violets, candle wax, saffron, and nutmeg.” Anne said, remembering a couple of the fever and cough remedies she’d learned over the years. “I’ll make some steam for Dellie to breathe in. Maybe if I can help her cough she’ll be able to sleep a bit.”

The guys followed Anne’s instructions without question. Anne would call out directions to them occasionally as she alternated between having Dellie breathe in the steam and wiping her down with a cool cloth to bring the fever down.

Delphine was luckily old enough to be drinking and eating more than milk, so they put the cooled down tea in a bottle and let her drink it. 

They were all thoroughly exhausted by the time they put Dellie in her crib. Bash rubbed the mixture on her chest and belly and sang softly to her. Delphine still had a fever and a cough, but they had gotten a little bit better and she seemed slightly more content than she had been when Anne had arrived. 

After ten minutes, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief when Dellie fell asleep. Hopefully, now her body could focus on healing while she slept.

Gilbert and Anne went to sit out on the front porch and wait for the doctor, leaving Sebastian with Dellie. The sun had just fully risen and Anne could feel it’s warm rays.

“Thank you,” Gilbert said, looking at her with gratitude. 

“I’m not sure how much I actually helped,” Anne said, still worried for Delphine and sorry that she hadn’t been able to do more.

“You helped. Delphine is sleeping now and Bash is not nearly as frantic as he was. I can’t even imagine...after Mary…” Gilbert stopped, unable to finish the sentence. Anne reached out and put her hand on his arm.

“I know, but we are not going to lose Delphine. I think she just has a sickness of the lungs, with medicine and a few days rest she should be as good as new,” Anne said more confidently than she felt. 

“She has to, Anne…” Gilbert cut himself off with a shake of his head and then switched the subject slightly. “You were amazing in there.”

“Oh, I don’t-”

“Stop, don’t even try to argue, you were incredible. Where did you learn all of those things?” Gilbert said and Anne felt heat rise in her cheeks at his praise.

“I was placed out a lot into different families before I ended up with the Cuthbert’s. They all had a lot of children and those children tended to get sick a lot. I picked up on a few remedies and techniques from various doctors and parents over the years,” Anne said, trying not to shudder as she thought about some of the houses she’d been placed in.

“That sounds stressful,” Gilbert said softly, it was almost like he was trying to not scare her off of this topic. Anne did not really like to talk about her past and Gilbert knew that.

“It could be, especially if multiple children were sick at the same time,” Anne admitted.

Gilbert looked like he wanted to ask more, but the sound of horse hooves made the words die on his lips. Anne was relieved to see a wagon pull up with Marilla and Dr. Ward inside.

Anne and Marilla waited out in the kitchen while Gilbert brought Dr. Ward inside the bedroom to examine Delphine.

“How is she?” Marilla asked, her brow furrowed in worry.

“She’s a little better, I think,” Anne said. “Oh, Marilla, I was so scared,” Anne admitted, throwing her arms around her mother.

“There, there, child. You did an incredible thing tonight. You kept her safe until the doctor arrived. Doctor Ward will be able to get Dellie all healed up,” Marilla said, patting her back gently.

They sat at the table while Marilla made them both tea. Anne dried her tears and tried to think of anything other than the sick baby in the other room. She was really hoping it was just a temporary illness and not a sign of a worse sickness or something chronic.

Finally, the doctor and Gilbert came out into the kitchen. Anne stood up, suddenly very anxious.

“She’s going to be okay,” Gilbert said with a smile. Anne gave a relieved laugh and threw her arms around him.

“Thank goodness, I was so scared.”

“So was I,” Gilbert said, hugging her tightly.

“I gave her some medicine for the fever and cough, but they should resolve themselves within a few days,” Dr. Ward said.

“Thank you, Dr. Ward,” Anne said, pulling away from Gilbert to hug the doctor.

“Oh, my,” The doctor was clearly taken by surprise, but pleased by her display of gratitude.

“Anne,” Marilla said in disapproval.

“Sorry,” Anne said, pulling away.

“Don’t worry about it my child,” Dr. Ward said with a smile. “Gilbert told me what you did. That was quick thinking with the tea and the rub. It certainly helped keep Dellie stable. If you ever want to consider a career in medicine like your friend here let me know.”

“Thank you,” Anne said, feeling her cheeks heat up with blush again.

“Anne, I’m going to bring the doctor back to Charlottetown. Please go home and try to get a little bit of sleep before coming back here,” Marilla said. “And change into proper clothes.”

“Okay,” Anne said, kissing Marilla on the cheek.

After they’d left, a tired but relaxed looking Bash came out of the bedroom.

“She’s sleeping again and her fever is already lower than it was,” He said with a smile. “Anne, I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

“That isn’t necessary, you are my family,” Anne said seriously. “This is what we do for each other.”

Bash had tears in his eyes when he pulled her in for a hug. “How lucky I am to have such people in my life,” He said, kissing her on the cheek. “At least let me cook you breakfast to thank you for being woken up in the middle of the night by this lad,” Bash said gesturing towards Gilbert.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly, Marilla said I should go home and sleep and you two should get some sleep while Dellie is resting,” Anne said.

“We could all use some rest,” Bash agreed, “But we also need to eat. So how about I cook all three of us up a good breakfast and then we can see about getting some rest.”

“Say yes,” Gilbert said, coming over to her and nudging his shoulder against hers. “Bash makes the best scrambled eggs you’ve ever tasted.”

“Okay, yes,” Anne said with a smile.

Gilbert and Anne sat at the table and chatted quietly while Bash prepared the meal. Once the food was ready they all ate in companionable silence. The night had really caught up to Anne and she couldn’t wait to fall into her bed. She knew Bash and Gilbert had to be even more exhausted because they’d been dealing with a sick baby for days.

They all jumped when the front door banged open. A slightly frazzled looking Rachel Lynde burst through the door.

“Mrs. Lynde?” Gilbert asked, standing up and going over to her.

“Gilbert? What on earth is going on? I saw Marilla with the doctor leaving early this morning,” Rachel said loudly.

“Shh, please Mrs. Lynde, Dellie’s sleeping. She’s been sick but she’s doing better now,” Bash said, joining the pair.

“Thanks to Dr. Ward and Anne,” Gilbert said. Rachel’s attention moved to Anne for the first time since she’d barreled into the Blythe-Lacroix household.

“Anne Shirley-Cuthbert!” She yelled

“Shh,” The other three shushed her.

“Anne, what are you doing sitting there in your nightgown in the wee hours of the morning,” Rachel continued as if they hadn’t spoken.

“It’s my fault, Mrs. Lynde. I came and got Anne in practically the middle of the night. I knew she could help Dellie until the doctor got here,” Gilbert said.

“That still doesn’t explain the indecency of sitting in your kitchen eating breakfast in her nightgown. The scandal of it all,” Rachel clutched at her heart.

“Oh for goodness sake,” Anne said, standing up to join them. “There was a sick baby to tend to, I didn’t exactly think about what I was wearing.”

“You surely had time to change before running over here,” Rachel continued to argue.

“Delphine was sick and I didn’t know how bad it was. I hardly think what I was wearing matters in times of life and death,” Anne argued right back. Gilbert and Bash had both taken a few steps back and were looking wholly uncomfortable at the topic of conversation.

“And Marilla, I can’t believe she would let you leave the house like this, let alone let you stay in a house alone with these two and eat breakfast looking like that,” Rachel said, looking her up and down in disgust.

“Oh this is useless,” Anne threw up her hands. She knew there was no arguing with Rachel when she got like this. “Gilbert, Bash, I’m going to go home, get some sleep, change into ‘proper’ clothing and then come back later today,” She said, turning to the others in the room.

“Sounds like a good plan,” Bash said with a smile, still looking back and forth between Anne and Rachel nervously.

Thank you for breakfast, Bash, Gilbert was right, your eggs are heavenly," Anne said and received a smile from Bash.

“I’ll take you home, Anne,” Gilbert said, looking at Rachel like he was afraid she would disagree.

“Make it speedy, Mr. Blythe. Then you and Sebastian need to get some rest of your own. I can look after dear little Dellie,” Rachel said.

Anne shrugged on her coat and once again grabbed Gilbert’s hand and pulled him out of the door. This was becoming a habit that she was going to have to make sure to not get too used to.

They rode at a leisurely pace on the way back to Green Gables. Anne leaned against Gilbert and closed her eyes. Exhaustion threatening to take over as she listened to the birds and smelled the spring air.

“Thank you,” Gilbert said, just loud enough for her to hear.

“You don’t have to keep saying that, you know, there are no thanks necessary when it comes to you, Bash, and Dellie,” Anne said.

“Still, it, ah...it means a lot that you were willing to come and help in the middle of the night, no questions asked.”

“Anytime, Gil, but next time maybe I’ll take 30 seconds to change into my clothes,” Anne said and was pleased when Gilbert started laughing.

They got to Green Gables and Gilbert once again helped Anne down from the horse. He kept his hands on her elbows once her feet hit the ground and didn’t make any move to pull away.

“It meant a lot to have you with us today,” Gilbert said. “I think Bash and I might’ve both lost it if we didn’t have you there to help and give us things to do so we felt useful.”

“You don’t need me for that,” Anne said. She’d gotten a lot of praise from Gilbert over the past few hours and she wasn’t really sure how to take that.

“Maybe, but having you certainly helped,” Gilbert said.

Without thinking about it, Anne stood on her tiptoes and kissed Gilbert on the cheek. “And you will always have my help. I will see you later today,” Anne said and hurried off, making her best effort at not thinking about how much she would like to kiss Gilbert again.

**Author's Note:**

> I am determined to stave off the boredom of isolation by writing as much fanfic as possible. So if you have requests or prompts please send them in to me!!!
> 
> Here's a link to a post on my tumblr of all of the fandoms I'm down to write a fic for  
> https://macspaperclips.tumblr.com/post/613069342535565312
> 
> "Solitude is creativity's best friend, and solitude is refreshment for our souls."  
> ~Naomi Judd


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